Schlatter Family Site

APRS Station
as of
August 2007

Here are photos and descriptions of the APRS station I an using in my apartment as of August 2007.  First, a photo, then the explanation.

The components of this station are:

•  HP Pavilion laptop computer.  This is an older HP that has a serial port (a COM port -- more about this later).

•  Kantronics KPC-3+ terminal node controller (TNC); lower right corner of the tabletop.

•  Yaesu FT-51R handheld transceiver (covers two amateur bands, 144 MHz and 435 MHz); upper right corner of tabletop.

•  Not shown:  12 volt DC power supply that provides power to the FT-51R and the KPC-3+.

•  Not shown:  vertical antenna on short mast outside the window -- see the black coaxial cable running out of the window on the right -- that cable goes to the antenna.

Here are some details of this equipment.

•   The computer has a COM port -- that is, an "old-fashioned" serial port.  You'll need this because, as far as I know, just about every TNC on the market requires a serial port, NOT a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connection.  If your computer does not have a COM port, you can add one.  For a desktop computer, you can find an expansion card with one or two COM ports.  For a laptop, you can find a PCMCIA card with a COM port.  Some newer TNC's may be able to use a USB connection -- I am not an expert on TNC's so I'd advise you to shop around.

•   The KPC-3+ is a fine piece of equipment -- small, low power consumption (it can run on a 9-volt battery), simple to use.  It's not the least expensive TNC on the market but it's worth the money.

•   The Yaesu FT-51R is, in my opinion, one of the best, if not the best, handheld radio made.  The controls are intuitive -- you don't have to be an engineer to use it; it's compact; rugged; has good battery life; with a battery eliminator it can be powered from a 12VDC power supply.  I use the model CBE-38 battery eliminator from BatteriesAmerica.  Yaesu does not make the FT-51R any longer; usually, you can find one on eBay -- however -- any 2-meter/144 MHz radio will work.  Check the TNC instruction manual for instructions on connecting the TNC to the radio.

Software

Of course, this equipment will not work as an APRS station without APRS software -- the software (1) controls the TNC, (2) reads the incoming packets, and (3) displays the location of stations on a map.  There is a lot of APRS software out there. 

•  Original APRSDOS is still available.  It will run on an old 8088 PC.

•  WinAPRS is popular -- you can download it for free, however, the free version does not save your settings -- $50.00 to the guy who made it will get you a registration number.

•  I use UI-View, which is probably the most popular APRS software out there.  It was written by an individual in the United Kingdom who later died of cancer.  Download it for free -- but -- you must first send an e-mail to the folks who manage the software distribution.  They will send a registration key -- and -- they request a donation to the American (or UK) Cancer Society.

Maps

You will need maps to load into the software.  All of the software programs listed above come with some basic maps but you will want to download -- or make your own -- more detailed maps.  I will not try to point you to links where you can find maps because the maps you use will depend on the software you select.  I have found all the maps I need by using Google or by using links on the sites where the software is available.

The next two photos show a close-up screen shot of my APRS station so you can see what the UI-View screen displays when in operation.  I downloaded a map of Tennessee -- that's in the first photo.  The software comes with a US map -- that's the screen in the second photo.

The photo above is of the UI-View screen showing most of TN and parts of NC, GA, AL, KY, VA, and SC.

This photo shows the screen with the "USA Colored Relief" map that is bundled with the UI-View software.

Well -- there you have it -- this is the APRS station that I am using in my apartment as of August 2007.  When we find a home, I'll set this up more permanently:

•   Probably still use the old HP laptop.
•   Replace the FT-51R handheld with a Radio Shack 2-meter transceiver that runs 15 watts output.
•   Retain the KPC-3+.

Thanks for visiting my site and I hope you found something useful here.

Back to APRS introduction page.